Man accused of making license plate 'disappear'

NEW YORK (AP) -- New York authorities didn't see this one coming. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says the driver of a tractor-trailer rigged the front license plate of his vehicle so that it would "disappear" as he drove through a toll plaza, allowing him to avoid paying the $40 fee.

The Port Authority said driver Orlando Payano ran a cable from the license plate to the dashboard cigarette lighter inside the cab of the vehicle.

Pulling on the lighter flipped the plate under the truck. Cameras are used to capture images of license plates to identify fare beaters.

Police charged Payano with toll evasion and license plate destruction. He told the Daily News that he didn't have "any cable or anything" and that "it's not true."

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